约翰福音 3

耶稣和尼哥德慕谈重生

1 有一个法利赛人，名叫尼哥德慕，是犹太人的官。 2 这人夜里来见耶稣，对他说：“拉比，我们知道你是由上帝那里来作老师的；因为你所行的神迹，若没有上帝同在，无人能行。” 3 耶稣回答他说：“我实实在在地告诉你，人若不重生t，就不能见上帝的国。” 4 尼哥德慕对他说：“人已经老了，如何能重生呢？岂能再进母腹生出来吗？” 5 耶稣回答：“我实实在在地告诉你，人若不是从水和圣灵生的，就不能进上帝的国。 6 从肉身生的就是肉身；从灵生的就是灵。 7 我说‘你们必须重生’，你不要惊讶。 8 风t随着意思吹，你听见风的声音，却不知道是从哪里来，往哪里去；凡从圣灵生的也是如此。” 9 尼哥德慕问他：“怎么能有这些事呢？” 10 耶稣回答，对他说：“你是以色列人的老师，还不明白这些事吗？ 11 我实实在在地告诉你，我们所说的是我们知道的，我们所见证的是我们见过的，你们却不领受我们的见证。 12 我对你们说地上的事，你们尚且不信，若对你们说天上的事，如何能信呢？ 13 除了从天降下t的人子，没有人升过天。 14 摩西在旷野怎样举蛇，人子也必须照样被举起来， 15 要使一切信他的人都得永生。

16 “上帝爱世人，甚至将他独一的儿子t赐给他们，叫一切信他的人不致灭亡，反得永生。 17 因为上帝差他的儿子到世上来，不是要定世人的罪t，而是要使世人因他得救。 18 信他的人不被定罪；不信的人已经被定罪了，因为他不信上帝独一儿子的名。 19 光来到世上，世人因自己的行为是恶的，不爱光，倒爱黑暗，这就定了他们的罪。 20 凡作恶的人都恨恶光，不来接近光，恐怕他的行为被暴露。 21 但实行真理的人就来接近光，为要显明他的行为是靠上帝而行的。”

耶稣和施洗约翰

22 这些事以后，耶稣和门徒到了犹太地区，在那里他和他们同住，并且施洗。 23 约翰也在靠近撒冷的哀嫩施洗，因为那里水多，众人都去受洗。 24 那时约翰还没有下在监里。

25  约翰的门徒和一个犹太人辩论洁净的礼仪， 26 就来见约翰，对他说：“拉比，从前同你在约旦河的东边，你所见证的那位，你看，他在施洗，众人都到他那里去了。” 27 约翰回答说：“若不是从天上赐的，人就不能得到什么。 28 你们自己可以为我作见证，我曾说，我不是基督，只是奉差遣在他前面开路的。 29 娶新娘的是新郎；新郎的朋友站在一旁听，一听见新郎的声音就欢喜快乐。因此，我这喜乐得以满足了。 30 他必兴旺；我必衰微。”

从天上来的那一位

31 “从上头来的是在万有之上；出于地的是属于地，他所说的也是属于地。从天上来的是在万有之上。 32 他把所见所闻的见证出来，只是没有人领受他的见证。 33 那领受他见证的，就印证上帝是真实的。 34 上帝所差来的说上帝的话，因为上帝所赐给他的圣灵是没有限量的。 35 父爱子，已把万有交在他手里。 36 信子的人有永生；不信子的人得不到永生，而且上帝的愤怒常在他身上。”

JOHN 3

Jesus and Nicodemus

1 There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader.

2 One night he went to Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from abovet before you can see God's kingdom!”

4 Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?”

5 Jesus answered:
I tell you for certain that before you can get into God's kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. 6 Humans give life to their children. Yet only God's Spirit can change you into a child of God. 7 Don't be surprised when I say that you must be born from above.

8 Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going.

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 Jesus replied:
How can you be a teacher of Israel and not know these things? 11 I tell you for certain we know what we are talking about because we have seen it ourselves. But none of you will accept what we say.

12 t If you don't believe when I talk to you about things on earth, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about things in heaven?
13  t No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. 14 t And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as the metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert.t

15 Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.
16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!

18 No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son.
19 The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. 20 People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done.

21 But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.

Jesus and John the Baptist

22 Later, Jesus and his disciples went to Judea, where he stayed with them for a while and was baptizing people.

23-24  t John had not yet been put in jail. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was a lot of water, and people were coming there for John to baptize them.
25 John's followers got into an argument with a Jewish mant about a ceremony of washing.t

26 They went to John and said, “Rabbi, you spoke about a man when you were with him east of the Jordan. He is now baptizing people, and everyone is going to him.”

27 John replied:
No one can do anything unless God in heaven allows it.

28 t You surely remember how I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am only the one sent ahead of him.
29 At a wedding the groom is the one who gets married. The best man is glad just to be there and to hear the groom's voice. That's why I am so glad.

30 Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.

The One Who Comes //from Heaven

31 God's Son comes from heaven and is above all others. Everyone who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all others. 32 He speaks about what he has seen and heard, and yet no one believes him. 33 But everyone who does believe him has shown that God is truthful.

34 The Son was sent to speak God's message, and he has been given the full power of God's Spirit.
35  t The Father loves the Son and has given him everything. 36 Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever.